The Caterpillar Metro

Imagined 2024-22-11, transcribed by AI

Chapter 1: Arrival in a Foreign Land

We had just arrived in a foreign country, or at least that’s how it felt. With me were my mother and brother, and our conversation danced between topics, landing on the notion of visiting New York.

“It’s only an hour away,” one of us said, wondering if it was worth a visit. Should we take a subway or a local train? My mother wasn’t sure but mentioned she needed to pick up some basic supplies from a nearby store. I volunteered to go with her.

We left the apartment and descended one flight of stairs to reach the elevator. As we waited for it to arrive, I noticed a four-letter code etched beside the staircase. “Should we take a photo of that? Just in case we get lost?” I asked, half-joking.

“Don’t worry,” someone said dismissively. “We’ll find our way back.”

The elevator arrived, its doors opening on both sides. An elderly man exited through one set of doors as we stepped in through the other.

Inside, I realized we were in a skyscraper with hundreds of floors. I pressed the button for the ground floor, and the elevator began its descent. As it gained speed, I felt a strange weightlessness creeping in. My pant legs floated upward, and soon, even my heels began to lift from the floor.

“We’re falling too fast!” I shouted, urging someone to press a button to slow the descent.

The elevator abruptly stopped on an intermediate floor. The doors opened, but no one entered or exited. I suddenly became aware of a third person in the elevator with us — a woman. She was shorter than me, with light-colored hair, and I felt an overwhelming sense of affection for her. She wasn’t my partner but someone related to me.

In the cramped space, I found myself hugging her, holding her tightly. I kissed her forehead, an instinctive gesture of care, and she hugged me back. When we reached the ground floor, my mother exited first, leaving us slightly behind. As a joke, I called after her, “Chotto matte!” — “Wait a moment!”

Chapter 2: Exploring the City

Outside, the building loomed tall, its shadow casting a wide path alongside it. Beside the walkway was a sunken road lined with tracks, clearly meant for the metro.

We turned left, walking alongside the path, with shops and stalls lining the left side of the street and the metro tracks on the right. The city buzzed with energy, its culture so vibrant and unfamiliar that I couldn’t help but take it all in with wide-eyed excitement.

After some time, the noise of the city was interrupted by a distant sound from the tracks — a low rumble, signaling the arrival of the metro. Without turning, I watched as it entered my field of vision.

But this was no ordinary metro.

It was a massive, harnessed caterpillar.

The creature moved steadily, not stopping, its segmented body rolling forward with an alien elegance.

Chapter 3: Riding the Caterpillar

Somehow, inexplicably, I found myself on the back of the caterpillar as it wound its way through the city. From my elevated position, I noticed the worried glances of people on the ground.

“He’s on it again,” someone muttered. “What if it goes berserk?”

Their words made it clear — the caterpillar was not a willing participant in this arrangement. It had been forced into service, and its presence as a mode of transportation was a source of unease for the city’s inhabitants.

Compelled by curiosity and a sense of concern, I decided to move toward the front of the creature to see how it was doing.

The caterpillar stopped abruptly as we entered a tunnel, its long body coiling in place. I hopped off and began walking toward its head. The dim light of the tunnel cast eerie shadows as I approached, my footsteps echoing softly.

At the caterpillar’s head, I was startled to find a human face fused into the body of the creature. The sight was unsettling, but I had no time to process it.

Chapter 4: The Chase

Before I could act, strange insect-like figures armed with laser weapons appeared out of nowhere. They began chasing me.

I bolted, running along the caterpillar’s side as it moved through the tunnel lined with tall columns. The insect figures fired their lasers, and some of the shots hit me in the back. Though the impacts didn’t hurt, they felt like immense pressure slamming into me.

I knew the weapons were dangerous, so I tried to keep moving, weaving between the columns for cover.

Despite the chaos, I couldn’t shake the surreal nature of the scene — the caterpillar, the lasers, the tunnel. It all felt like a bizarre, otherworldly adventure, one I wasn’t sure I’d escape.